Proposed measure would make abortion first-degree murder in California

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SACARMENTO, Calif. (KTVU) - Supporters behind a far reaching proposal to criminalize abortion as first-degree murder in California have moved closer to putting the measure on the November 2018 ballot.

Daniel Ehinger, whose is behind the initiative, announced on Facebook on Friday that supporters have been cleared to begin collecting signatures to put the measure before voters.

"We received our circulating title to gather signatures and work to get Abolishing Abortion on the November 6th, 2018 ballot through a state ballot initiative that would amend our constitution. Please pray for our efforts," Ehinger wrote in a post.

According to the Secretary of State's office, the measure would eliminate "a woman’s state constitutional privacy right to terminate a pregnancy, and to use certain birth control methods."

It would expand the definition of abortion to include some forms of birth control, medical research and in vitro fertilization.

Under the proposal, abortion would also be against the law in cases including rape, incest, or to save the pregnant woman's life.

To qualify the measure for next year's ballot, organizers must gather 585,407 signatures from registered voters by March 5.

If the initiative makes its way to the ballot, it would be extremely difficult to get it passed in California, where polls show a strong majority of the state's voters support abortion rights.